End gate



y 1930- c. A. PERSINGER 1,759,323

END GATE Filed Sept. 30, 1929 C Zme n, nmyge hd er gwuemtoz v Q Patented May 20, 1930 CLARENCE A. FER-SINGER, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA END GATE Application filed September 30, 1929. Serial No. 396,327.

My invention relates to end gates and has for itsobject to provide an end gate ofthe typehaving a central door adapted both to slide upwardly and to hinge in a lateral direction about a vertical axis.

I am aware thatend gates of this type are not new, the old style comprising a door member which is adapted both to hinge and slide Vertically on a rod extending from top to bottom of the end gate. An objection to this particular construction is that the rod is apt to'become bent, thus interfering with the sliding of the door member upwardly.

My invention has for itsobject to provide an end gate which is not subject to this objection. I v

A further object. ofmy invention is to provide an end gateof'this type which is f more sturdy in constructionand has greater strength than the prior end gate mentioned. Sturdiness in construction is obtained by employing a channeled slide construction for the sliding feature, the ends of the door being N slidably mounted in a pair of guidechannels. In order to combine with this feature of con struction the adaptability of the door memberto hinge around a vertical axis, I have provided a door member adapted to break by centrally and so arranged that while breaking, one of its ends may be withdrawn from its coacting channel.

A further object. is to provide in such a construction means for normally locking the two sections of thedoor member in rigid relation to each other.

A further object is'to provide a structure having all the features above set out and which is, in addition, easy tooperate and which is simple, durable and inexpensive in construction. 1.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointedout in my claims, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is. a rear elevationof the, end gate,

together with a truck bed, to which the end gate is attached. i

Fig. 2 is a detail, sectional view the line 22 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. V a

Fig. 4 is a detail, sectional view of the fixed hinge bracket and hinge pin.

The advantages of the end gate having a central door memberadapted to both slide vertically and hinge about a vertical axis have been recognized and set forth in prior. structures and disclosures. V The advantages are briefly universal adaptability to various conditions -and ease of operation. For instance, 60 there are two situations where a door member cannot be hinged, due to the nearness of the end gate to a building or the like, from which a load is beingunloaded. On the other hand, it is undesirable to lift a heavy'door member if the situation is such that the door can be taken on swung about its hinges.

I have illustrated in Figs. '1- and 2 a conventional' form of end gate, including the upright posts 10 and 11 and the corner posts 12, tl1e latter being preferably of angle iron, as shown in Fig. 2, all connected together by bars 13, and 1 4 and a top bar '15, the latter extending the full width of the'gate while the former extend only between the posts 10 and 12, respectively.

The inner posts 10 are provided with longi-v tudinal grooves 16 and metallic plates 17, which form together with the post the channeled guide members in which the door member slides.

The platesl'? are secured to the posts 10, as by meansiofbolts 18, which also serve to se cure the bars 13, 14 and 15 to the post. The bars 13, 14 and 15 are secured to the posts 11 and 12, as by means of bolts 19. The bar 15, although not illustrated in Fig. 2, is positioned in the same vertical plane as the bars 13 and 14 and the door member may slide upwardly past the bar 15, since the groove 16 is in a different plane.

A conventional form of fastening device 20 is illustrated, by means of which the end gate is secured to the side members of the truck, the latter being omitted from the drawings since they form no part of the present invention. a

The posts and 11 are extended downi wardly so as to be received insockets in the rear end of the truck bed 21, as indicated in dotted lines at 22.

The door comprises a pair'of door sections I A and B,each comprising a pair of upright posts 23 and 24: and a pluralityof cross bars 25 and 26, corresponding to the bars 13 and 14 in their width and position. It will be understood that this particular feature is not an essential part of my invention and that the door is constructed in this mannerm'erely 5 for the sake of looks.

The ends of the bars 25 and 26 project beyond the outer posts 23, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 and are received normally in the grooves'16 of the posts 10.

Thedoor sections Aand B are hinged toetherin the plane of their inner sides by hinges 27, thus being adapted to break outwardly.

It will be noted thtat the engagement of the adjacent edges ofthe posts 24 will prevent the door from breaking lnw'ardly, limiting the hmgmg movement of the door in an inward direction to a position wherein the two door sections are in thesame plane. 1' provide means forlatchingthe door sections againstbreaking'outwardly, thus making it possible for the door sections to be-secured in rigid relation; to each other. T I The means for preventlng outward break- .ing comprises a pair of latch bars 28, secured to the outer side of the section A and proj ecting substantially tothe end of the section I B. A pair of metallic keepers 29 are secured to the ends of the latch bars 28 and are provided with outwardlybent hooks 30 (see Fig. 2). Latching handles 31 are provided, which are constructed as shown in Fig. 3 and pivot-.

til they clear the upper edges of the latch arms 28, thus allowing the latch arms 28 to swing outwardly away fr-om the door section B. When in their engaging positions shown .in Figs. 1 and 3, the handle members secure the latch arms 28 against the outer face of the door section B, thus latching the sections in rigid relation to each other. The support- 1 ing hinges for the door comprise a pair of fixed hingeelements 33, provided with up wardly extending hinge pins 34 and secured to the posts 10 and 11 at one end of the end gate. A pair of coacting hinge elements 35 is secured to the door section A, each hinge element 35 extending to a position where its loop 36 may register with the pin 34. The hinge elements 33 and 35 are preferably made of strapiron, cold rolled to provide loops at their ends. The pin 34: is secured permanently in the loop of the hinge element 33 and is loosely received by the loop 36.

It will now be seen that raised by simply applying lifting pressure the door may be ably pointed, as shown, so that as the door 7 slides downwardly, the loops 36 may slide over the pins without difficulty.

' when a is desired to hi ge the door about fso its axis, the handles 31 are swung upwardly',--

releasing thelatch arms 28 and one ofthe latter is then grasped and pulled rearwardlyy causing the door section A to hinge about the axis of the pins 34eand the door section B to be released 'fromthe groove 16. In so doing,

the door section B must hinge relative to the door section A around the axis of the hinges 27; r It will be ture, the elements ofwhich are adapted to separate and re -engage as the doorslides upwardly or downwardly; For instance, the

understood that the separable hinge construction shown might be mod fied without changing the effect of a hinge strucpin 34 might be secured to the upper hinge 33. Such a structurewould be merely an inversion ofthe structure'shown and it has not been thought necessary to illustrate it for this reason. I l V 'The particular type of latch structure shown might bemodified without departing fromthe'essential function of the latch structure, which is to rigidify the door structure.

With the particular.arrangement" shown,

however, there is an added advantage. The projecting arm 28 serves not'only as a latch arm but as a lever which may be grasped to pull the door rearwardly. It will be under stood that'in order to causethe door to break, rearward pressure must be applied at or near theaxis of the hinges 27. The bar 28 is adaptelement 35 andbe projected downwardly I into a loopformed on'the' lower hinge element,

ed' to apply a pull to the door near its center for the reason that it is secured to' the section A near the center of the door and is noti'se-.

cured at all to the section B. Furthermore, an additional function is inzpored upon the latching structure, namely, that of strengthening thedoor to. resist rearward pressure from within. By" extending the latch bars 28 entirely across the rear face of the door covering both sections thereof, and secured thereto at both ends and the center, the full strength of the latch bar is given to the support of the central region of the door in resis'ting rearward pressure thereagainst;

75. Y i to it while it is in rigid position, as shown in a F ig. l, the loops 36 sliding outwardly and V leaving the pins .34. The pins 34 are prefer- I Sullicient play is provided between the bars 26 and the sides of the channel guide member, comprising the post 10, and plates 17, so that the sections A and B may break rearwardly while the ends of the bars arestill Within the axis of the hinge pins 34 is located directly" rearwardly of the groove 16in the post 10, whereby as the door section A hinges rearwardly, the ends of the bars 26 may be withdrawn from the groove 16 without binding. A slight amount of play is necessary here also in order to prevent binding.

It will be understood that end gates of the type including the channeled guides and the central door member having its ends slidably received in the guides are standard form of construction for an old type of end gate in which the door does not hinge. This type of structure is recognized as being very sturdy and durable and satisfactory in operation of the sliding feature.

Bythe combination and arrangement of the features of the dooradapted to break rearwardly and the separable hinge elements 33 and 35, I have provided an end gate of the type wherein the door has both sliding and hinging action, which has all of the advantages of strength, durability and ease of operation inherent in the channeled guide type of structure.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an end gate for trucks, an end gate including vertical, central posts defining a doorway and provided with opposed channels, a door slidably received in said channels, said door comprising two door sections hinged together on a, vertical axis, whereby the door may break intermediate its ends so as to allow its end portions to be withdrawn from the channels, and vertically separable coacting hinge elements secured to one door section and to the adjacent end gate structure, respectively, positioned to interengage when the door is in a lowered position, so

as to support the door at one side of the doorway for hinging movement.

2. In an end gate for trucks, an end gate including vertical, central posts defining a rigid door structure.

doorway and provided with opposed channels, a door slidably received in said channels,- said door comprising two door sections hinged together on a vertical axis, whereby the door may break intermediate its ends so as to allow itsend portions to be withdrawn from. the channels, vertically separable coacting hinge elements secured to-one doorsection and to the adjacent end gatestructure, respectively, positioned to interengage when the door'is in a lowered position, so as'to sup-' portthe door at one side of the doorway for hinging movement, and latch means to se-' cure the door sections together to form a 3. In an end gate for trucks, an end gate including vertical, central posts defining a doorway and provided with opposed channels, a door slidably received in said channels, said door comprising two door sections hinged together on a vertical axis, whereby the door may break intermediate its ends-so as to allow its end portions to be withdrawn from the channels, vertically separable coacting hinge elements secured to one door section and to the adjacent end gate structure, respectively, positioned to interengage when the door is in a lowered position, soas' to support the door at one side of the doorway for hinging movement, a latch arm secured to one of the door sections and adapted to overlap the other section, and means to latch the arm to said other section.

4. In an end gate for trucks, an end gate including vertical, central posts defining a doorway and providedwith opposed channels, a door slidably received in said chan nels, said door comprising two door sections hinged together on a vertical axis, whereby the door may break intermediate its ends so as to allow its end portions to be withdrawn from the channels, vertically separable CO? acting hinge elements secured toone door section and to the adjacent end gate structure, respectively, positioned to interengage when the door is in a lowered position, so as way for hinging movement, a latch arm secured to one of the door sections and adapted to overlap the other section, and a latch handlepivotally mounted in said other section and adapted to be swung to a position hooked acrossthe latch arm.

5. In an end gate for trucks, an end gate including vertical, central-posts defining a doorway and provided with opposed channels, a door slidably received in said channels, said door comprising two door sections hinged together on a vertical axis, whereby the door may break intermediate its ends so as to allow its end portions to be withdrawn from the channels, and vertically separable coacting hinge elements secured to one door section and to the adjacent end gate structure, respectively, positioned to interengage when the door is in a lowered position, so as to. supportthe door atone side of the doorway for hinging movement, one of said hinge elements including a Vertically extending pin 7 and the other having a loop adapted to receive said pin. e h

' 6. In an end'gate for'trucks, an end gate including vertical, central posts defining a doorway and provided with opposed chaninelssa door slidably received in said channels, saiddoor comprising two door sections hinged together on a vertical axis, wherebyv the door may break intermediate its ends-so as to allow its end portions to'be withdrawn from the channels, and vertically-separable coacting hinge elements secured to one door 7 section and to the adjacent end gate structure, respectively; positioned to interengage when the 'door is in Ta lowered position, so as to 20 support the door at one side of the doorway for hinging movement, one of said hinge elements including'a Vertically extending pinand supporting means therefor, and the' other including a loop adapted to'receive 5 said pin and to engage against said, supporte 'ing means to carry the weight oftthe door from one hinge element to the'other. V V

Signed this28thiday of September',"1929,

in the county of ,Woodbury and State of v30 Iowa.

CLARENCE A. PERSI GER. 

